Monday, January 29, 2007

Things that make me tense...Politics, especially talking to people about politicsMess and clutter, like in my house right now.People who seem to have no, mess, clutter, perfect children, perfect lives, perfect figures, read only literary treasures and eat only vegan, free-range, free trade things and know how to dress well.Knowing I'm here doing nothing when so much needs doing somewhere else.

Friday, January 26, 2007

The revgals meme this week is about things you do that renew you and boy do I need this one! So 5 things I would do to relax and renew...if I did them, which I will, soon I'm sure, yeah.

1. Read/Watch TV/Movies -take mental vacations, cuz physical ones just aren't happenin'. And thats a shame. We're not far from my Mom here where she could take care of Flash for a weekend, if we were ready for that. Next year who knows where we'll be. Better start planning our "get-away".

2. Cook - Not that rushed dinner thing, not that, but something relaxing, tasty and made because I wanted to make it.

4. Taking a drive - Haven't found any good places to do this here, really. Driving in NJ is serious business. We used to drive and talk a lot when we lived in rural South GA. Hard on the gas tank, I know. Maybe this should become a biking thing now.

5. Fun with friends. I'm starting to miss my Bible Study girls, we suspended meetings over break. Cookouts have been suspended until the thaw. But we had folks over for a movie recently, and I think this exercise has convinced me to talk a friend into going for coffee. And a date with my Hubby, after ords.

You may have already seen the winners.If not check the American Library Association's webpage www.ala.org/alsc

I am reading (right now) The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron,which won the Newbery Award. I saw a galley copy of it a while backand frankly didn't register with me. Such is the power of the Newbery award.So I am reading it. No, Edward Tulane did not win, whew!Alabama Moon didn't get anything either...but such is life.

The Caldecott Award went to David Wiesner for Flotsamwhich is so beautiful and intricate, it makes you want to dive into the pictures.You don't have to read it, its wordless, but you really should take aglance at it next time you are in the book store.

The Sibert Award, for Children's non-fiction went toTeam Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moonby Catherine Timmesh.I was watching this one fairly closely, since I was on the Sibert Committee last yearand Juvenile Non-Fiction is one of my assigned collections.I really enjoy it too.What a fantastic choice! Science, social Science, teamwork, the photos!

Excellent job Award committees! You should be very proud of yourselves!

Monday, January 22, 2007

Each year on Epiphany we receive a star with a word on it at church,to use in our spiritual devotion time. Each year it has been a wonderful thing, a word I needed to hear, and see taped to my mirroror floating in my purse, tucked into my bible. Last year, it was Direction.Very purposeful, things to think about.

This year its Silence.

Those of you who've met me will knowthat Silence is a tall order for me. My life doesn't have much which is fine by me,because I don't need much. But I am beginning to understandthat Silence may be an essential something missing from my life. I'm giving it a try.

So, when? You may think this odd but,I've tried turning off the radio in my car, just as a starting point. At first I had a hard time with this, I have a 25 minute commute and although I often find the radio inane,listening to...nothing...is uncomfortable.

Does this sound bizarre to you? You think I'm crazy, right?Do you like the quiet? I'm going to try to.

Hubby had a "informational chat" by phone with a church this morning. Its just first steps, of course. But, I'm getting excited about all this. Not this particular church, persay, but the process, the anticipation!This time at seminary has been so different. In a way it feels that we've been removed from the world and I guess I'm getting ready to re-join it, already in progress.

Simba had surgery last week, and he's back and on the mend. Max, our other dog was very very worried for the two days Simba was gone. He looked around the house for him, didn't eat well, and was very timid on walks, not sure where to go. I think he took it worse, frankly. Its funny how attached they are.We got Simba from the Humane Society in 2000 and Max in 2001, right after September 11, from a neighbor of a friend, who said if we didn't take him they'd take him to the Humane Society. Simba (8) is a red Terrier Mix (so says his pill bottle) and Max (6) is a larger blond lab mix. And they are brothers and pals.Max greeted Simba better than we did, sniffing him and licking the wound. He snuggled with him on the dog bed.Happy reunion!

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Sister Eulalia had spent her few weeks with us and with my Aunt's familyand it was time to fly back to Texas. As usual, she was dressed in full habit.My Aunt offered to help with Sister's bagswhen they arrived at the departure gate.But Sister Eulalia looked around andspotted a group of tough-looking young men nearby.She said "No, no. Those boys will help me."She said her goodbyes and went over to the boys,sized them up and tapped on the elbow of the biggest one.She drew herself up to her full 4 foot 9 inches and asked him to help her with her bags.Now, this fellow doesn't want to turn downa tiny, elderly nun in front of his pals,so what could he do?He picked up her bags and followed her.

40 preschoolers made mouse hats on Monday.On Tuesday the Teens decided on Pretty in Pinkfor their next movie night.Wednesday, I lost 3 times tovarious 7 and 8 year-olds in Chess Club.Tomorrow is Storytime Day...We're having books by Laura Numeroff(famous for If You Give a Mouse a Cookie)and doing the Hokey Pokey,'cuz that's what its all about.

You hear each year that we are "Easter people". But we are also "Epiphany people". We mean well, but we are late, and bearing inappropriate gifts.

Today is Epiphany, known by our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters as Three Kings Day. Christmas is a holy day, a church day. But Three Kings Day is when the wise men, or kings, arrived bearing gifts for Jesus. So, Three Kings Day is full of celebration and presents. So, if your Christmas lights are still up, turn them ON, in solidarity and celebration!

Friday, January 05, 2007

Parties and people, especially family!Peace - In a purely selfish personal sense.Paper - I have a paper datebook, full of doodles and highlighter. A PDA is a Public Display of Affection not a electronic planner.Paperbacks - Got one in my purse...one of those contemporary romance Christmas treasuries, I get one every year.Play-dough & paper hats & peanut butter & playgrounds - Keep a little boy and his mama happy.Practicality - So, why the blog??? Hmmm.

3. Milestone birthdays:a) just like any other birthday--they're just numbers, people.b) a good opportunity to look back/take stockc) enjoy the black balloons--I'll be hiding under a pile of coats until the day is overd) some combination of the above, or something else entirely.Every year you get is a blessing! Milestone birthdays are an excuse for a bigger bash!

4. Have you ever been sung to in a restaurant? Fun or cringe-worthy?Mostly cringe-worthy, but when I was a kid we used to go to this Italian place where a retired opera singer named Walter would sing Happy Birthday to me. I loved it!

5. Tell me one advantage and one disadvantage about your particular birthday.Late Summer birthday. Never had school, but never had enough people around for a party. Often it was the week we went on vacation.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

I read this in an afternoon and loved it. It was also on a Mock-Newbery Award list I saw recently. I would probably put it in for the Prinze Award were it not for the protagonist's age. Think Holes, think Maniac Magee.

Here's a blurb from the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux:

"For as long as ten-year-old Moon can remember, he has lived out in the forest in a shelter with his father. They keep to themselves, their only contact with other human beings an occasional trip to the nearest general store. When Moon's father dies, Moon follows his father's last instructions: to travel to Alaska to find others like themselves. But Moon is soon caught and entangled in a world he doesn't know or understand, apparent property of the government he has been avoiding all his life. As the spirited and resourceful Moon encounters constables, jails, institutions, lawyers, true friends, and true enemies, he adapts his wilderness survival skills and learns to survive in the outside world, and even, perhaps, make his home there."

What I love about it, aside from the extraordinary plot, is the author's care for his character. Many books leave the main character out to dry to make a point about coping in the world, or some such. Without giving it away, the reader knows that Alabama will make it. You don't think that he will, you know it. There are some poignant moments and some truly slapstick moments. And someone will make a movie of it, and make a killing.

And for those of you thinking Edward Tulane... Moon knows what to do with rabbits.

I've shared before that my mother doesn't "get" Hubby's call. Not so sure about the whole Protestant thing in fact. And here we are, starting the whole "first call" processand it is beginning.

She doesn't want us to move far away, I understand that, but she's all-of-a-sudden developed extreme prejudices against other parts of the country...or in fact any place further than 3 hours from her. Her new stipulation is that it be near a level three hospital. And she apparently thought that he'd go into some sort of apprenticeship after seminary, not an actual church where he may be the only pastor. My stepfather wants Hubby to use a percentage-based rubric system for deciding of a church position, and if he explains it to me again, I'll scream.

So I thought I was going to either do last weeks Wired Word about Gerald Ford, or of-my-own-choosing the Fellow who jumped in off the platform in New York to save a teenager from an on-coming train, or whatever Wired Word sends me this week. But I just realized I'm helping with the new Rotation Sunday School for the kids this week anda. I have no idea what I'm doingb. Need to find someone to cover my Adult classI am so glad I figurred this out today! Because I could be figuring this out on Saturday, or worse yet...SUNDAY MORNING!

Monday, January 01, 2007

Friends of ours always had an open house Chili Cook-off every New Year's Day. When we moved to seminary, we missed it so...we have our own.

The first year we had it in our apartment and invited Hubby's study group and the building. Our apartment overflowed. Last year we had it at the meeting room down the street. There were so many people and so much fun...we forgot to vote! Today was the last one we'll have here and there were 9 pots of chili (winners for Best Hot, Best Beef, Best Non-Beef and Best in Show). I'm so pleased that a neighbor has plans to hold it again next year.